Tiny metal shavings in oil. Should I worry?

Light It Up

Light It Up

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Oct 22, 2008
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Hey guys I just got done Ppumping my 24v. I put a new cam,pushrods,valve springs and lifters in it. I have tiny metal shavings on my dipstick. There is three pieces on the magnent that are the size of of the very tip of a sharp pencil and there a bunch that are smaller than a needle head. I didnt know if it would be from the new parts i put in or if its somethin I should be pissed about? The truck has 50 miles on it.
 
I'm betting it's from all of the new parts breaking in and wearing in. Keep an eye on it for a while and it should go away after an oil change or two. Didn't you also have a jacked up pump? There could be some metal from it in there as well.
 
I sure hope so. Ya my pump is acting up also so it could be that. I figured it was prob my new cam and lifters.
 
Does your oil look like it has glitter in it, or do you mean actual chunks? What combo cam, tappets, pushrods, valvetrain do you have? Maybe something doesn't have the necessary clearance and is rubbing? Did you put the right bolts behind the cam gear to hold the timing case on? I did that once an a bolt head was rubbing the cam gear tone ring...
 
JFlagg said:
Does your oil look like it has glitter in it, or do you mean actual chunks? What combo cam, tappets, pushrods, valvetrain do you have? Maybe something doesn't have the necessary clearance and is rubbing? Did you put the right bolts behind the cam gear to hold the timing case on? I did that once an a bolt head was rubbing the cam gear tone ring...
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Its the 180/210 hamilton cam package(Cam,billet pushrods,110valve springs and I put CR tappets in it also. I also put to long of bolt behind the cam gear but caught it before I started the truck annd put a shorter one that cleared in. I talkt to Zach Hamilton about it and he said that theres a black layer on the cam that will wear off during break in. They are very very small. The largest piece is about the size of the tip of a pencil or about the size of one grain of salt if that big.
 
JFlagg said:
Does your oil look like it has glitter in it, or do you mean actual chunks? What combo cam, tappets, pushrods, valvetrain do you have? Maybe something doesn't have the necessary clearance and is rubbing? Did you put the right bolts behind the cam gear to hold the timing case on? I did that once an a bolt head was rubbing the cam gear tone ring...
Click to expand...
It looks like glitter. Its all dark, no copper color or anything.
 
If it just looks like glitter I would change the oil, new filter and plenty of zddp additive and check again after a few miles.
 
Ya Im runninn 2 cans of hamiltons additive right now and Ive got another can to run with my next oil change. Il go ahead and drain the oil and see what it looks like and go from there.
 
Even after my rebuild I never got the glitter in my oil, but I only have a 2-3 miles on it since then, so maybe it will?
 
Ok I went out and drained my oil and went around on the bottom of the bucket with my magnent and I found very very little if anything. I got more off my dipstick last night than I did out of the oil. It sat for 1 day without running. I wouldnt think it all settled to the very bottom of my oil pan would it? I would think if I have metal in my oil there should be metal in my oil when I drain it right. Am I bein paranoid?
 
I'm thinking its just metal "mud" from the new parts wearing in together. Drain it, add the zddp, and run it for a week and check it again.
 
Don't sweat it. It's probably just the cam boring a hole through through the back of the block.
 
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